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Topic: Rapid building up (Read 5957 times)

I would like to find some beekeepers who have built up there beekeeping quickly. I think it would be great to network with you, if your interested let me know. Let me know what you think the firsts steps are of importance are. Thanks Tom

Our last local bee club meeting was July 27, some were discussing feeding now, 1 of the commerical beek said he had already started so his hives would build up more to be ready for fall flow. Since every thing has been about a month early this year they figure fall flow may be here in Sept. This beek has hives scattered all around locally, has appr.800 hives and I think I heard him say spring and summer harvest was 150 drums.

Our last local bee club meeting was July 27, some were discussing feeding now, 1 of the commerical beek said he had already started so his hives would build up more to be ready for fall flow. Since every thing has been about a month early this year they figure fall flow may be here in Sept. This beek has hives scattered all around locally, has appr.800 hives and I think I heard him say spring and summer harvest was 150 drums.

Joe

It seems like he feeds sugar to let the bees make "sugar-honey", takes it all, then feeds-takes-feeds.I am curious as to how many "drums" of syrup he put into to get that 800 out.Around here most club beeks take only surplus honey and don't feed between flows at all.

I agree that some of the members in my club do take to much honey. This fellow is a commerial beek and does feed corn syrup. Some of us don't. Last winter and spring I feed a total of 3 gals of sugar syrup to 3 hives and on a warmer day I checked and they still had honey. In fact they still had honey when the spring flow started. But the question was on rapid build up. That is why this fellow was feeding now. We are in dearth and so there is not much build up going on now, he feeds to have a big population when fall flow starts. Like in the spring some feed to build up the size of the hive.

I think the question may have been for a rapid buildup in coloniy numbers as opposed to colony strength .

+buzzbee for us newcomers; what is difference between coloniy numbers as opposed to colony strength?

I would like both. I am really looking to build up the numbers of hives I have and what is the number one thing that someone has 100-too 800 or more hives is doing diffferently than that of one or few hives I am interested in doing pollinating but aside from this I am also interested in having a large amount of hives. My goal is for this to encompass my whole life. I believe it is so cool the spirit of the bee the sprit of the beekeeper. I think it is awesome. When I talk to youth about beekeeping you can see thier lights turning on. Thanks Tom

You need colony strength:IE a large number of bees in each colony,for honey gathering when a flow is on. Also , a strong hive with large numbers of bees are ideal for splitting( Increasing colony Numbers).In early spring beekeepers try to get each individual colony to maximum numbers before the spring flow to maximize nectar collection along with brood rearing. They also try to build a strong number of healthy bees in the fall to carry the colony over winter.Bees raised in late fall will live longer to carry the colony through until spring comes again.The queen will lay some over the winter to replace losses,but you need a strong enough colony to keep itself warm and to tend to early spring brood rearing.